This invention relates to object recognition and more particularly to landmark building identification and locating using image recognition techniques.
Location-based services (LBS) are used for providing information and entertainment and are often accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical positioning system (GPS) of the mobile device. LBS can be used in a variety of contexts, such as health, work, personal life, etc. For example, LBS may include services to identify a location of a person or object, such as discovering the nearest automated teller machine (ATM) of a bank or the whereabouts of a friend or employee. LBS also routinely includes parcel tracking and vehicle tracking. LBS can include mobile commerce, taking advantage of mobile services in the form of coupons or advertising directed at customers based on their current location. Other LBS offerings include personalized weather services, location-based games, location-based tourist guides, location-based shopping guides, and location-based blind assistance.
Conventional outdoor location-based services are mainly based on GPS and GSM networks with specialized receivers including mobile telephones so equipped, and indoor location-based services are mainly based on Bluetooth, UWB, RFID and Wi-Fi technologies. Such technologies are useful for locating the geographical position of a user possessing a mobile device. Nevertheless it is difficult to recognize a building, particularly if the appearance of the building as seen by the user on the ground does not match that provided by the map provider.
What is needed is a mechanism to capitalize on existing technology to enhance location-based services.
The following patents and USPTO publications were uncovered in a search of literature related to LBS technology and recognition technology: 20090073265 VIRTUAL OBSERVER; 20080247660 AUTOMATIC DETECTION AND MAPPING OF SYMMETRIES IN AN IMAGE; 20070214172 SCALABLE OBJECT RECOGNITION USING HIERARCHICAL QUANTIZATION WITH A VOCABULARY TREE; 20070159522 IMAGE-BASED CONTEXTUAL ADVERTISEMENT METHOD AND BRANDED BARCODES; 20070086675 SEGMENTING IMAGES AND SIMULATING MOTION BLUR USING AN IMAGE SEQUENCE; 20060240862 MOBILE IMAGE-BASED INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM; 20060165276 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING LOCATION OF MOBILE BODY AND GENERATING MAP OF MOBILE BODY ENVIRONMENT USING UPPER IMAGE OF MOBILE BODY ENVIRONMENT, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORING COMPUTER PROGRAM CONTROLLING THE APPARATUS; 20060012677 IMAGE-BASED SEARCH ENGINE FOR MOBILE PHONES WITH CAMERA; 20080118105 METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LEARNING OBJECT RECOGNITION IN IMAGES; 20090037403 GENERALIZED LOCATION IDENTIFICATION; 20080042349 BOARD GAME PLAYING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INCORPORATING CITY LANDMARKS; 20040236543 SIMULATED CITY GENERATION; 0040049341 NAVIGATION APPARATUS;